Two exceptionally rare and beautifully carved Mithraic altars found in Inveresk, East Lothian, Scotland, are going on display for the first time. They are not just the only Roman altars ever found in Scotland, but are among the finest examples of Roman sculpture in Roman Britain. They are also uniquely early in date, having been made in 140s A.D. during Antoninus Pius’ reoccupation of southern Scotland, whereas most other archaeological materials related to the worship of Mithras in Britannia date to the 3rd century.
The altars were unearthed in 2010. Inveresk was the site of a fort on the Antonine Wall and a bustling town grew around the military base. It was also home to the northernmost temple to Mithras in the Roman Empire, and the two altars were the focal points of the temple, which would have been an underground space, dark and windowless, resembling or even built into a natural cave. The altars were found broken in large fragments, and required extensive conservation work so they have never before been placed on public view.
One of the altars is dedicated to Mithras himself and bears the inscription “DAEO / INVICT· MY / C · CAS ·/ FLA” meaning “to the invincible god Mithras” followed by the abbreviated name of the man who erected the altar, probably Gaius Cassius Flavianus, likely the legionary centurion commander of the fort. The capital is finely carved with leaves and flowers over a turned rope border, and topped with two scrolls on each end. The center top features a raven, which may have been one of a pair but the spot where the other would have been is damaged. Ravens played an important role in Mithraic mythology as the messengers from the sun god Sol Invictus to Mithras. The sides of the altar are decorated with relief carvings of other Mithraic iconography, including a griffin and a patera on one side, and a lyre, plectrum, a lyre and a jug.
The second altar is dedicated by the same centurion to the god Sol himself. The face of the god was carved on the front of the solid stone altar in high relief, but then the center of the stone block was hollowed out from behind and the rays around the sun god’s head, his eyes and mouth were punched through to make them cutouts. His chin was also punched through, although that was by mistake. It was later rebuilt in plaster, but that plaster is now missing exposing the cleft. The altar would have been illuminated from behind, and in the dark, cave-like interior of the Mithraeum, the eyes, mouth and rays of the solar crown would have glowed brightly. On the capital of the altar, female personifications of the four seasons are depicted in relief, representing the passage of time.
There were rare surviving traces of the original polychrome paint visible on the altars when they were first unearthed. Conservators found more evidence of the color accents when examining the surface with ultraviolet light. They didn’t find enough to make a complete map of how the altar were painted, but they were able to clarify areas with red and blue outlines.
The new exhibition, Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire, runs from November 14th 2026 through April 28th, 2027, and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. It focuses on Rome’s attempts to conquer Scotland, how it was supplied and supported from the core of the Empire, the impact on the local population and the long-term effects of the occupation.
Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistory and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland said:
“These stunning altars really bring the beliefs of the Roman frontier to life. The quality of the carving, traces of paint and dramatic lighting effects show they were impressive and expensive monuments. The cult of Mithras represented the triumph of good over evil and gave soldiers a sense that there was a purpose to their world and a life after death.[…]”
* This article was originally published here
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